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But a new study suggests this limit is far more generous than experts once thought, meaning that the conditions needed to sustain existence may not be that rare.

If our universe is one of many versions of the cosmos - a concept known as the "multiverse" - then life could be common throughout it, they say.

Using simulations of the cosmos, researchers led by Durham University found life is still possible with far more dark energy than is present in our universe.

This opens up the prospect that life could be possible throughout a wider range of other universes, if they exist, the researchers said.

Study co-author Jaime Salcido, a researcher at Durham University's Institute for Computational Cosmology, said: "For many physicists, the unexplained but seemingly special amount of dark energy in our universe is a frustrating puzzle.

"Our simulations show even if there was much more dark energy - or even very little - then it would only have a minimal effect on star and planet formation, raising the prospect that life could exist throughout the multiverse."